2026 Summer Research Projects through the NCIR

Northwestern Center for Innovation & Research (NCIR) started almost two years ago in response to the need to expand into innovation and research as a wider institution. The Center brings real industrial problems into the classroom to support the ecosystem of local industries. Since then, NCIR has been funding summer research projects to bring faculty and students together to tackle something new. Funded projects cover a wide range of topics. Some seek to answer a fundamental “why”; other seek to find better ways to benefit others.

2026 Summer Topics

1. When someone needs to go to the Emergency room, it is already a traumatic experience in and of itself. Any patient in-take process that requires physical examination compounds that trauma. One project aims to develop a fast and calm patient in-take process and yet provide the necessary information for the hospital.
2. Do you know that our breath alone can reveal a lot about our own health? One project aims to develop a breath sensor that can assess the gut health by just breathing onto a breath sensor. This technology hopes to provide early detection of problematic health condition at ones’ own home or at a regular health check-up. The breath sensor can bypass complicated procedures for early screening.
3. Stent placement has become a common practice among aging populations. Complications due to late-stage thrombosis (similar to developing a blood clot) is a real concern. A team approach aims to simulate this process with experimental validation. Their aim is to understand this complex process first with the hope to prevent it. 
4. Bones and teeth have more in common than one thinks. This common thread led to a multiphysics model simulating the behavior of bones and dentin layer of teeth as fluid-partially saturated porous media.
5. Drug resistant antibiotics are an increasing concern for public health. There has not been any new class of antibiotics discovered in decades. One team hopes to develop a new class of antibiotics that is more difficult for bacteria to resist.
6. Have you ever wondered if every gene has a function? One project aims to decipher this question and more. Unlocking some of these questions can open doors for better vaccine production.

Northwestern students are combining science fiction and practicality as they dream, design, build, test, and watch their ideas come to life. The process is challenging, but the journey can be filled with joy and surprises.

If you are looking for a place where students can feel at home, a place where they are challenged and never have to go it alone, UNW may just be the place for you. Come to campus to experience it for yourself. For more information, connect with admissions.